Copperstar

Fire Walking in Barcelona Sorry guys that it has been awhile since the last time I had written. In this episode of how the stomach churns (sometimes)….Christine finds herself scared to death with large booms and pops from all over the city. Are we being invaded? Are the Barceloneans crazed pyromaniacs? The birds flew so did my pen each time a firecracker went off. Intrigued? Read on….Do I have your attention yet? O.K. I landed in Barcelona, which is mega huge compared to Valencia, right smack in the middle of Festival. The Celebrations of San Sebastian and San Joan. I was told that the fireworks are to frighten off the evil spirits. If anyone wants to add their two cents in to why the fireworks besides scaring me and the birds you are welcomed to join ... read more

Well Folks, I´m fininshing up my time here in Granada. So far, out of all of Andalucia, Granada has been my favorite. Today, I spent the entire time up at the Alhambra, which consists of the Alcazaba and the Palace of the Nazaries. These are probably the most important monuments in the entire region. the Palace is worth the hike up the mountain alone. So beautiful is the court of lions. It is about 10 degrees cooler there too because of all the water around the place. Next day....I have found that the best way to see cities and how they actually works is by foot. Wandering around this great city is the best way of finding those small wonders that is not listed in any tour book. There are many street vendors who come and ... read more

Gibraltar...What a magnificent break from the world of Spanish. Andalu is soooo different from Castilleano. Everything with a c-s-z sound is pronounced with a th, making speaking with the locals an interesting experience. I hashed on that in my last post. Anyways, Gib is fantastic! Think U.K. with a suntan. A totally different country is located just a five minute walk across a border. The bus drivers are my favorite so far. They speak english, andalu, and algerian (at least). This side trip was well worth the money, or sterling. The first day it was wet and miserable. The levanta(strong winds) were blowing a gale. The current in the bay was sooo strong, that the cruise ships were not allowed to dock in Gib that day. This was the day that I decided to wear my ... read more

Hi All- I still have a few more days before I leave--Sunday evening to be exact. If I haven't finished everything by now, I'm done for (come up with colorful wording here). Thanks to all who have given me support and ideas on where and what to explore. I start off in Sevilla then go up the coast before the high tourist season starts. I'll make sure to post with lots, and lots of pictures. Bye for now, Chris-- Teach, Learn, Share, Grow... read more